§11.22.1μετὰ τοῦθʼ οἱ μὲν τῆς ὀλιγαρχικῆς ἑταιρίας σοβαροὶ καὶ θρασεῖς περιῄεσαν ὡς δὴ κρείττους τῶν ἑτέρων γεγονότες καὶ διαπεπραγμένοι μηκέτι καταλυθῆναι σφῶν τὴν δυναστείαν, ἐπειδὰν ἅπαξ ὅπλων καὶ §11.22.2στρατιᾶς γένωνται κύριοι·
After this, the arrogant and bold members of the oligarchic faction went about as if they had indeed become superior to the others, and had already brought it about that their power would never be dissolved, once they should make themselves masters of arms and army.
οἱ δὲ τὰ βέλτιστα τῷ κοινῷ φρονοῦντες ἀνιαρῶς διακείμενοι καὶ περιφόβως ὡς οὐδενὸς τῶν κοινῶν ἔτι γενησόμενοι κύριοι καὶ διέστησαν εἰς μέρη πολλά, τῶν μὲν ἀγεννεστέρων τὰς φύσεις ἅπαντα συγχωρεῖν τοῖς κρατοῦσιν ἀναγκαζομένων καὶ κατανέμειν ἑαυτοὺς εἰς τὰς ὀλιγαρχικὰς ἑταιρίας, τῶν δʼ ἧττον ψοφοδεῶν ἀφισταμένων τῆς ὑπὲρ τῶν κοινῶν φροντίδος καὶ τὸν ἀπράγμονα βίον μεθαρμοττομένων· ὅσοις δὲ πολὺ τὸ γενναῖον ἐν τοῖς τρόποις ἦν, ἰδίας ἑταιρίας κατασκευαζομένων καὶ συμφρονούντων ἐπὶ φυλακῇ τε ἀλλήλων καὶ μεταστάσει τῆς πολιτείας.
But those who had the best interests of the public at heart, being in a sorrowful and terrified state, as they expected that they would no longer be masters of any public affairs, split into many groups; those who were of a more noble-less nature being compelled to yield everything to the rulers and to enrol themselves in the oligarchic factions; while those who were less easily frightened withdrew from concern for public affairs and conformed themselves to a life of leisure; and all those who had a great deal of nobility in their character formed private associations and agreed together for their mutual protection and the subversion of the government.
§11.22.3τούτων δὲ τῶν ἑταιριῶν ἡγεμόνες ἦσαν οἱ πρῶτοι τολμήσαντες ἐν τῷ συνεδρίῳ περὶ καταλύσεως τῆς δεκαδαρχίας εἰπεῖν, Λεύκιος Οὐαλέριος καὶ Μάρκος Ὁράτιος, φραξάμενοί τε τὰς οἰκίας ὅπλοις καὶ φυλακὴν θεραπόντων καὶ πελατῶν καρτερὰν περὶ ἑαυτοὺς ἔχοντες, ὡς μήτʼ ἐκ τοῦ βιαίου παθεῖν μηθὲν μήτʼ ἐκ τοῦ δολίου.
The leaders of these associations were the first who had dared to speak in the senate about the dissolution of the decemvirate, Lucius Valerius and Marcus Horatius, who, having fortified their houses with arms and having a strong guard of servants and clients about them, might suffer nothing either from violence or from treachery.
§11.22.4ὅσοις δʼ οὔτε θεραπεύειν τὴν τῶν κρατούντων ἐξουσίαν βουλομένοις ἦν οὔτε μηδενὸς ἐπιστρέφεσθαι τῶν κοινῶν οὐδʼ ἐν ἀπράκτῳ ζῆν ἡσυχίᾳ καλὸν ἐδόκει, πολεμεῖν τʼ ἀνὰ κράτος οὐ ῥᾴδιον, ἐπεὶ καθαιρεθῆναι δυναστείαν τηλικαύτην ἀνόητον ἐφαίνετο εἶναι, κατέλιπον τὴν πόλιν.
But as many as neither wished to flatter the power of the rulers, nor thought it honorable to pay no attention to public affairs or to live in inactive leisure, and yet did not find it easy to wage war with all their might, since it seemed foolish to attempt the overthrow of so great a power, left the city.
ἡγεμὼν δὲ τούτων ἀνὴρ ἦν ἐπιφανὴς Γάιος Κλαύδιος, ὁ τοῦ κορυφαιοτάτου τῆς δεκαδαρχίας Ἀππίου θεῖος, ἐμπεδῶν τὰς ὑποσχέσεις, ἃς ἐπὶ τῆς βουλῆς ἐποιήσατο πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφιδοῦν, ὅτʼ αὐτὸν ἀποθέσθαι τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀξιῶν οὐκ ἔπεισεν.
The leader of these was a distinguished man, Gaius Claudius, the uncle of Appius, the chief leader of the decemvirate, who was fulfilling the promises he had made to his nephew in the senate when he failed to persuade him to resign his office.
ἠκολούθει δʼ αὐτῷ πολὺς μὲν ἑταίρων ὄχλος, §11.22.5πολὺς δὲ πελατῶν.
He was followed by a great crowd of companions, and a great crowd of clients.
τούτου δʼ ἀρξαμένου καὶ τὸ ἄλλο πολιτικὸν πλῆθος οὐκέτι λάθρα καὶ κατʼ ὀλίγους, ἀλλʼ ἐκ τοῦ φανεροῦ καὶ ἀθρόον ἐξέλιπε τὴν πατρίδα, τέκνα καὶ γυναῖκας ἐπαγόμενον.
When he had set the example, the rest of the citizen-body also left their country, no longer secretly and in small numbers, but openly and in a body, taking their children and wives with them.
οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Ἄππιον ἀγανακτοῦντες τοῖς γινομένοις ἐπεβάλοντο μὲν κωλύειν πύλας τʼ ἀποκλείσαντες καὶ ἀνθρώπους τινὰς συναρπάσαντες, ἔπειτα — δέος γὰρ εἰσῆλθεν αὐτοῖς, μὴ πρὸς ἀλκὴν οἱ κωλυόμενοι τράπωνται, καὶ λογισμὸς ὀρθὸς ὡς κρεῖττον εἴη σφίσιν ἐκποδῶν εἶναι τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἢ μένοντας ἐνοχλεῖν — ἀνοίξαντες τὰς πύλας ἀφῆκαν τοὺς θέλοντας ἀπιέναι, οἰκίας δʼ αὐτῶν καὶ κλήρους καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα ὑπελείπετο ἀδύνατα ὄντα ἐν φυγαῖς φέρεσθαι λειποστρατίαν ἐπενεγκόντες ἐδήμευσαν τῷ λόγῳ, τὸ δʼ ἀληθὲς τοῖς ἑαυτῶν ἑταίροις ὡσανεὶ παρὰ §11.22.6τοῦ δήμου πριαμένοις ἐχαρίσαντο.
And Appius and his associates, being vexed at what was happening, attempted to stop them by closing the gates and seizing some individuals; but afterwards — for a fear entered them lest those who were prevented should turn to resistance, and a correct reasoning that it was better for them that their enemies should be out of the way than that they should remain and cause trouble — having opened the gates, they let those who wished to depart go. And they confiscated their houses and lands, and whatever else was left behind because it could not be carried away in exile, bringing a charge of desertion against them, in name indeed; but in truth they made a present of these to their own companions, as if they had bought them from the people.
ταῦτα δὴ τὰ ἐγκλήματα προστεθέντα τοῖς προτέροις πολλῷ δυσμενεστέρους ἐποίησε πρὸς τὴν δεκαδαρχίαν τοὺς πατρικίους καὶ τοὺς δημοτικούς.
These outrages, added to the former ones, made both the patricians and the plebeians much more hostile to the decemvirate.
εἰ μὲν οὖν μηδὲν ἐπεξήμαρτον ἔτι πρὸς τοῖς εἰρημένοις, δοκοῦσιν ἄν μοι πολὺν ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτῆς ἐξουσίας διαμεῖναι χρόνον· ἡ γὰρ φυλάττουσα τὴν δυναστείαν αὐτῶν στάσις ἔτι διέμενεν ἐν τῇ πόλει, διὰ πολλὰς αἰτίας καὶ ἐκ πολλῶν αὐξηθεῖσα χρόνων,
If, therefore, they had committed no further offenses besides those mentioned, they would, in my opinion, have remained in the same power for a long time; for the faction that preserved their power still remained in the city, having grown from many causes and over a long period, because of which both parties rejoiced in each other's misfortunes.
§11.22.7δι’ ἣν ἔχαιρον ἑκάτεροι τοῖς ἀλλήλων κακοῖς· οἱ μὲν δημοτικοὶ τὸ φρόνημα τῶν πατρικίων τεταπεινωμένον ὁρῶντες καὶ τὴν βουλὴν οὐδενὸς ἔτι τῶν κοινῶν οὖσαν κυρίαν, οἱ δὲ πατρίκιοι τὴν ἐλευθερίαν ἀπολωλεκότα τὸν δῆμον καὶ μηδὲ τὴν ἐλαχίστην ἔχοντα ἰσχύν, ἐξ οὗ τὴν δημαρχικὴν ἐξουσίαν αὐτῶν οἱ δέκα ἀφείλαντο·
The plebeians were pleased to see the pride of the patricians humbled and the senate no longer master of any public affairs; while the patricians rejoiced that the people had lost their liberty and had not even the least strength since the ten had deprived them of their tribunician power.
αὐθαδείᾳ δὲ πολλῇ πρὸς ἄμφω τὰ μέρη χρώμενοι καὶ οὔτʼ ἐπὶ στρατοπέδου μετριάζοντες οὔτʼ ἐν τῇ πόλει σωφρονοῦντες ὁμονοῆσαι πάντας ἠνάγκασαν καὶ καταλῦσαι τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτῶν, ὅπλων γενηθέντας κυρίους διὰ τὸν πόλεμον.
But by behaving with great arrogance toward both parties, and by neither showing moderation in the camp nor being prudent in the city, they forced all to agree and to dissolve their power, when they had become masters of arms through the war.
§11.22.8τὰ δʼ ἁμαρτήματα αὐτῶν τὰ τελευταῖα καὶ διʼ ἃ κατελύθησαν ὑπὸ τοῦ δήμου — τοῦτον γὰρ δὴ μάλιστα προπηλακίζοντες ἐξηγρίωσαν — τοιάδε ἦν.
Their last offenses, and those for which they were overthrown by the people — whom indeed they enraged especially by treating them with insolence — were as follows.